Apparatus for making cellular masses



UG 7, 1945- R. M. URQUHART 2,381,475

APPARATUS FOR MAKING CELLULAR MASSES Original Filed June 21, 1940 Patented Aug. 7, 1945' APPARATUS FOR MAKING CELLULAR MASSES Radcliffe Morris Urquhart, Montgomeryville, Pa.

Application June 21, 1940, Serial No. 341,938,

which is a division of application Serial No. 144,885, May 26, 1937. Divided and this application January 15, 1943, Serial No. 472,520

4 Claims. (Cl. 261-76) My invention relates to apparatus for making cellular masses, such as foam or the like. The

present application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No; 341,938, now Patent No. 2,324,605, for Apparatus for making cellular masses, filed June 21, 1940, which is in turn a division of my abandoned application Serial No. 144,885, filed May 26, 1937, for Apparatus and method for making cellular masses.

Cellular masses, for various purposes, have been made hitherto by means of chemical reactions, physical changes due to variations in heat and pressure, or by various mechanical methods.

Most of these means have variously proven unsatisfactory by reason of expense of equipment, chemicals, or fuelpas well as frequent lack of adaptability of the apparatus to the place of application of the product.

gas into said liquid to form a cellular mass or foam; and discharging the resultant mass.

My invention also consists in means formanufacturing a foam dried in a manner to retain the'cellular structure of the foam in a substantially solid form. Y

My invention also consists in means for varying the physical properties of the cellular mass by regulating the relative quantities of gas,

liquid, or cellular mass forming substance.

, My invention further consists of the apparatus.

for making a cellular substance, which comprises a closed container adapted to hold a' foam promoting liquid, a supplementary container adapted to release gas under pressure into said liquid container, an eductor adapted to commingle a.

" gas and said liquid in a manner to form a cellular Yet, the need is great for inexpensive means I for making cellular substances, particularly-at the place'of application of said substances for the uses for which they are. intended; and in many instances, there is an important need for varying the size and integral constituents of the individual cells. Instances of such needs may .be found in the fire extinguishing field, the

building and construction industries, liquid storage tank fields, the food industries, and fields involving the simulation or reproduction of de vvsired, views such as scenic effects.

* One-object of my invention therefore is to provide 'means whereby a cellular mass such asfoam may be practically, readily and inexpensively'produced in the general region of a fire,

for fire extinguishing purposes. I

Another object of my invention'is to provide means'for making cellular substances such as insulation, acoustic walls, ceilings, wall fillers, Y panels and the like, for use in the building or construction industries.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for satisfactorily and inexpensively producing scenic displays.

' With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in meansfor making a cellular substance, which comprises emitting a liquid capable of supporting foam in the presence of a gas in a manner to increase the surface of said liquid exposed to said gas operatively to entrain the same, and discharging the resultant mass.

My invention also consists in means for producing a cellular mass, which comprises releasing a quantity of gas in the presence of a com fined foam promoting liquid operatively to increase the pressure of said liquid and educing a mass, and a discharge conduit adapted to draw off saidcellular mass.

My. invention further consists of means for producing a substantially solid cellular mass comprising the residual product of a foam comprising liquid, gaseous and cellular-mass forming constituents, with the liquid constituent removed therefrom. i

For the purpose of illustrating my invention,

I have shown in the accompanying drawing a form of apparatus which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various .instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and organizations of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters indicate like parts;

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of an'apparatus of modified construction, for

making cellular masses, embodying my invention;

Figure 2 represents a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 represents a vertical sectional view of a modified gas and chemical release mechanism adapted for use in apparatus, embodying my invention; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the adaptor.- or

foam forming means employed in my invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a cellular mass generator comprising a container 43 having a' base M,

cylindrical side wall 45 having a handle 46 secured thereto, and a removable cap 41 securely threaded to the body of the container, and in sealed relation therewith.

The cap 41 has depending therefrom, a cage 48 comprising the tubes 49 and 50, and a rod.(not

shown). The lower extremities of thetubes and rod are connected ,to an eductor' or proportioner ll of any suitable and well known form, in a, manner to form a base for the compressed gas container'fl. For example, proportioner may takethe form shown in Figure 4 wherein tube 49 is threaded into one end of proportioner 5|. The

opposite end I31 of proportioner II is threaded to receive tube 50 and between its ends proporthrough 'thedischarge tube 53' and discharge nozzle 84. When it is desired to shatofl the flow of cellular mass from the generator, it is merely necessary for the operator to turn the handle 58 in a clockwise direction thereby bringing the port .85 out of registry with the tubes 50 and 53' and closing the valve. A safety valve 66 is provided in the upper portion of the contioner 5| is provided with a threadedaperture to receive an externally threaded nozzle I34 containing a spiral baflle I35. nom'le I34 is in turn threaded at I38 to receive one end of a liquid inlet tube 53. Liquid inlet tube 58 extends from the proportioner 51. to a region near the base 44 0f the container 48. The

The outer end of tainer wall 45 to'blow off any excess pressure of gas liberated'within the container 43.

The liquid having viscous qualities may be. any desired liquid which is capable of entraining a gas. Thus, it may be an aqueous solution of a cementitious material, such as glue, albumen,

or of a saponac'eous material such as tannin,

Y licorice, soap, spent sulphite liquor, or the like,

or any material such as casein, glucose or the like, or combinations thereof capable of altering, forming or supporting a filmy surface in the production of foam.

If desired, a freezing point, depressant such 'as calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, sodium chloride or potassium carbonate may. be placed strength to carry the weight of thegenerator.

An arm 59 is pivotally mounted on base 55 of cap 41 and has downwardly extending therefrom a pin 60 adapted to puncture the top of. the

compressed gas-container 52 when the arm 59 symbols, 63 on the upper face oi, the cap 41 to indicate the on and off positions of the handle.

In operation, the cage is filled with the gas charged container 52 and the container 43 is filled to a point below the port 54 with any desired cellular mass forming liquid, preferably .one having viscous qualities,.,and the cap 41 is sealed to the container 43. When it is desired to use the generator at any desired 1ocation,'it is merely necessary for the operator to lift the generator by means of the handle58, using to assist him, if he so desires, the side handle, and to direct the discharge nozzle 64to the point of application of the cellular mass formed bythe generator. When the operator desires to place the generator in active operation, it is merely necessary for him to turn the handle 58 in a counterclockwise direction, thereby puncturing the compressed gas cylinder 52 and simultaneously bringing the port -85 of the valve disc 52'. into registry with the tube 50 and theconcentric discharge tube 53'. This liberates gasv from the compressed gas container 52 into the. upper region of the container 43, thereby exerting a great pressure on the liquid .in a manner to urge it upwardly through the inlet tube 53 into the proportioner 5|. Simultaneously, the liberated gas passes fromthe upper region of the container 43, through the port 54, intoand through the tube 49, into the proportioner or eductor 5|. In the eductor or proportioner 5|,the liquid is dispersed by subdividing or otherwise increasing the surface area of the stream and the gas and liquid is mixed in a manner similar to that described in my co-pending application Serial No. 472,519 filed January 15,1943, or Patent 2,106,043 issued January 18, 1938, in which I am a joint in solution with the liquid to prevent saidsolution from freezing in the container prior to the operation' thereof. Moreover, if-desired, a corrosion inhibitor such as potassium chromate or potassium acetate may also be placed in solution with the liquid to protect the elements of the apparatus.

In Figure 3 is illustrated a modified form of a portion of my invention. In this modification I provide acontainer 'I 16 having two compartments' I] I and H8 longitudinally disposed with relation to each other; the inner compartment H1 is adapted to contain compressed gas and the outer compartment H8 is adapted to contain a chemical, which may be in either liquid or powder form. "A. puncturable diaphragm H9 separates the inner compartment II! from the outer compartment H8 and a puncturable diaphragm I20 seals the outer compartment from the outside. A puncturing pin I2] is adapted, when the generator is placed in operation, to puncture both the outer diaphragm I20 and the inner diaphragm 9 thereby liberating the gas through the chemical chamber and out of the container H6. In this manner, a desired chemical may be liberated at the same time as the compressed gas, thereby to coact withvthe cellular mass forming liquid in the generator.

By my novel invention, it is possible to change the character of the emitted cellular mass by varying the pressure or volume of gas introduced thereinto. Thus, for example, but not by way of limitation, a ratio by volume of three parts of gas -at average atmospheric pressure and temperature to one of liquid, fed into the eductor or proportioner, will produce a wet cellular mass having substantially wet and free flowing qualities. This cellular mass is of a specific weight much greater than that of a cellular mass havmg a larger ratio of gas to liquid, used in the eneration thereof.

A cellular mass having a ratio of ten parts of gas to one of liquid introduced into the'eductor or proportioner will be of a substantially stiff, re-

silient and very light weight structure, non-freeflowing, but very cohesive. A cellular mass of this ratio tends to cling to almost any solid or liquid surface. It is capable of supporting fairly substantial weight and can be built -up into inventor, and the mixture is urged upwardly mounds of substantial size for any of various desired uses, such as the building of scenic effects. Such uses mclude the simulation or reproduction 7 said released gas.

of glaciers, snow scenes, mountains or rock formations, for photographic purposes. Cellular masses having a ratio of seven or eight parts of gas to one of liquid are of substantially dry characteristics, yet of sufficient ability to flow to enable them to spread when emitted from the discharge nozzle. Such cellular mass is particularly adaptable for use for fire extinguishing purposes.

Thus, such foam may be poured on burning surfaces, such as that of volatile liquids, and will spread over such surfaces to suffocate the combustion thereof. Also, such cellularmass will cling to a burning wall, and is capable of forming a blanket thereon to suffocate the combustion thereof.

Furthermore, quick-setting chemicals, such as salts, cement, plaster of Paris, or gypsum derivatives, may be introduced with the cellular mass forming substance to cause the cellular mass discharged from the generator quickly to solidify. Moreover, fire resisting elements such as silicate of soda may also be introduced therewith.

The invention may beemb'odied in;other speciflc forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore tobe considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the means and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. Portable apparatus for making a cellular mass comprising a main container for holding a foam forming liquid and having a'removable cap; foam forming means suspended in said main container from said cap and comprising a mixing chamber, a liquid inlet conduit discharging into said mixing chamber, a gas inlet conduit for supplying a gas to said mixing chamber and afoam discharge conduit connected to said mixing chamber and extending through said top to deliver foam outside of said main container; 9. supplementary container, for retaining a quantity of compressed gas, carried on said foam "forming means; and means for releasing said gas from said supplementary container into said main container to cause said liquid and said gas to flow through said mixing chamber to form foam and discharge it under influence of the pressure of 2. Apparatu for making a cellular mass comprising a main container for holding a foam forming liquid and having a-cap; a'supplementary container filledwith a compressed gas mounted in said main container and having a frangible portion disposed adjacent said cap; foam forming means mounted in said main container and having a foam discharge conduit passing to the outside of said main container; a pivoted pin mounted on the inside of said cap for puncturing said supplementary container to release said gas into said main container; a rotatable shaft provided with a pin actuatingcam and a disc valve for normally closing said discharge conduit; and means for rotating said shaft to simultaneously move said pinto puncture said supplementary container and move said valve to open said discharge conduit to place said apparatus in operation. V

3. A supplementary container for insertion in the main container of a foam generator comprising a container having an open top, a gas tight seal dividing said container into a gas chamber and a chemical chamber, a gas under pressure in said' gas chamber, a chemical in said chemical chamber and a second gas tight seal at the top of said container for sealing said chemical chamber.

' 4. Apparatus for making a cellular mass comprising a main container adapted to receive a foam forming liquid; an auxiliary container filled with compressed gas and supported in said main container; foam forming means providing a cage for supporting said auxiliary container and comprising a proportioner for mixing said liquid and gas to form a foam and providing a seat for said auxiliary container, a gas supply conduit carried by said main container and connected to the inlet end of said proportioner to support said inlet end,

a foam discharge conduit carried by said mainv container and connected to the outlet end of said proportioner to support said outlet end; a liquid supply conduit connected to said proportioner adjacent said outlet end to s pply liquid to said proportioner so as to commingle said liquid and gas to form a foam; manually operable means for puncturing said auxiliary container to release said gas whereby said liquid and said gas are forced through said proportioner by the pressure of said gas to form foam; and means for directing said foam to a desired point of application.

RADCLIFFE MORRIS URQUHART. 

